William "Willy" Kaniho
Year Inducted: 2005
Parker Ranch | Hawai'i
He is acknowledged by his peers as perhaps the most legendary of paniolo among generations of great paniolo, in the history of Hawai’i’s largest and most enduring ranch. “Willy” Kaniho bore the indelible stamp of his early experiences with his father, William Sr., who ran the Humu`ula sheep operation in the early 1890’s.
His father died when Willy was young and, at age 14, Willy left home and went to work at Humu`ula for Sam Parker, Jr. He was only 16 years old when he became a Parker Ranch employee, after the ranch acquired the sheep station. But shortly he left Parker to follow his foreman, Ikua Purdy, to Princeville Ranch on Kauai. After two short years he was back on the Big Island, hired by Kahua Ranch. By that time he had come to the attention of A.W. Carter, then manager of Parker Ranch. Carter sent a cowboy to wait for Willy to pass by the Waimea post office, to entice him back to Parker Ranch as foreman at Keamuku. It wasn’t long until he was back at Humu`ula, this time as foreman. After eight years he was summoned back to Waimea to run the cowboy gang. But his name was to become synonymous with Humu`ula , where he returned once again, and where his intimate knowledge of the land led him to create a remarkable and innovative system of reservoirs called “water holes”, some of which remain evident or are still in use today.
Willy had a long tenure with Parker Ranch, retiring after fifty-six years. He was known to be a strict leader, but was a mentor and role model, earning the respect of all who worked with him. He has been quoted as saying he was proud of training over 100 cowboys, turning young roughnecks into productive future leaders.